Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

Recommend a bank (not Barclays)

30 replies

larkstar · 19/08/2021 09:31

I've banked with Barclays for 20+ years. I am frustrated with the chat facility within app that never works - I use or try to use it as a last resort when the app won't allow me to do something. So the app has it's limitations or doesn't work and the chat app doesn't work so I end up ringing them and once again - they can't can't answer any questions - they have no idea why I the app/chat - isn't working - it takes so long to get nowhere that I just give up - it's happened too many times now over the past 18 months of using the app (yes - it's up to date).

So - do you have a bank that has good customer service and a reliable app with a chat facility that actually works? I would not recommend Barclays. Who would you not recommend?

OP posts:
BIWI · 19/08/2021 09:32

First Direct. I've banked with them for more than 30 years, and they have always been great. As they started off as a telephone bank, they have a great team at the call centre. They have also moved to online banking, and have a good app. I don't know if it has a chat facility, but there's actually no need for one given that the call centre is so good.

SpottyStripyDuvet · 19/08/2021 09:34

What BIWI says. Been with them for 22 years.

CallMeNutribullet · 19/08/2021 09:36

Also came to say First Direct. They've been consistently high in Customer Service polls for years

maryberryslayers · 19/08/2021 09:42

Another one for First Direct. Fantastic customer service, you call a number and an extremely helpful person answers immediately.
The app is really easy to use too.

Original poster
larkstar · 19/08/2021 10:55

Thank-you - this is helpful - I've limped along with Barclays for a while - they have been good in some respects but overall I'm tired of the lack of cohesion between telephone banking, the app and the chat support and the on-line banking - they are all completely separate and no one knows anything about the other parts of the business - they all have different limits, facilities and limitations.

OP posts:
SingingSands · 19/08/2021 11:02

First Direct. Best banking move I ever made. Always available and so easy to deal with.

Hazelnut5 · 19/08/2021 11:55

MSE ran a poll last month asking people how they rate their bank account’s service:
www.moneysavingexpert.com/poll/2021/bank-service-poll-july-2021/

Barclays is in the bottom three along with HSBC and TSB. First Direct, Monzo and Starling all scored very highly.

Cornishmumofone · 19/08/2021 12:02

Handelsbanken

OverTheWater · 19/08/2021 12:04

I rate Nationwide highly although I've almost never had to contact them - their online service and app is so good that I never need to. (Only to unblock a card when I forget my own pin!)

Have an account with Barclays and find their app and online banking is awful.

Badbadbunny · 19/08/2021 16:03

I've been with Santander for personal and business banking for around 25 years. I don't know what their phone helpline or livechat are like because I've never had to use either. I've done all banking via their website which usually works very well. Occasionally there's a message to say it's not available, but leave it a short time and try again and it's fine. Surely that's how it should be. If the website works, there's no need to call the helpline or livechat.

windmill26 · 19/08/2021 16:04

We use HSBC and Monzo and they both have always been reliable. First Direct always gets good reviews .

WhatIsThisPlease · 19/08/2021 20:26

I really like the Halifax. The customer service is really good, especially over the phone. The online banking app is brilliant and I love that I can pay cheques in with my phone.
I've been them over 30 years. I had my mortgage with them and have had house and car insurance with them. All great service.

LakieLady · 20/08/2021 08:24

I've had a Nationwide account for 40 years and have always found their service excellent. Plus if you ever need to visit a branch, they're open on a Saturday morning (well, my local one is).

I think they're still a mutual, so non-profit, which I like.

SpeakingFranglais · 20/08/2021 12:20

I would have said Yorkshire (Clydesdale) but that bloody Branson has bought them out and they went from good to shit overnight.

I do also have a Nationwide current account, that isn't used like my Yorkshire I mean Virgin account, and it's very good.

I've also heard great stuff about First Direct.

Floralnomad · 20/08/2021 12:23

I’ve been with NatWest forever , never had a problem , always helpful if I go into branch which is not often , good mobile banking etc .

Badbadbunny · 20/08/2021 16:22

@SpeakingFranglais

I would have said Yorkshire (Clydesdale) but that bloody Branson has bought them out and they went from good to shit overnight.

I do also have a Nationwide current account, that isn't used like my Yorkshire I mean Virgin account, and it's very good.

I've also heard great stuff about First Direct.

No he hasn't. Clydesdale have bought the rights to use the Virgin name, that's all.
AlwaysReadyForABlether · 20/08/2021 16:25

I would also vote for First Direct and I've worked in financial services for over 30 years (not for FD)

TractorAndHeadphones · 22/08/2021 22:42

I’m surprised to hear this. Barclays has always been excellent over chat and phone for me. But I’ve never had very complicated issues either so..

Any of the ‘challenger banks’ (Monzo, Starling and Revolut) are decent

Usernameisgone · 22/08/2021 22:45

I used Santander. They are good. Never had a problem. Their app is fine and web chat is often helpful and quick!

HereticFanjo · 22/08/2021 22:51

@TractorAndHeadphones

I’m surprised to hear this. Barclays has always been excellent over chat and phone for me. But I’ve never had very complicated issues either so..

Any of the ‘challenger banks’ (Monzo, Starling and Revolut) are decent

Me too! I actually really like the Barclays app.
Hellvelyn · 22/08/2021 22:57

First Direct. Amazing customer service and easy to use online service too. Always a human available to talk to if needed. Trouble free for the 30ish years we’ve banked with them.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 23/08/2021 00:25

First Direct. Must be with them for 15 years. Moved from Barclays after some really crappy prolonged customer service that left me livid at the time. Don't even remember what it was about now.
MiL had appalling service when FIL died. Total computer says No. Tried to move utilities bills into her own account rather than the suspended joint account and got a shitty attitude. I get that bank/utility policy might have made it impossible but she was already distraught and stress about paying bills on time made it a whole lots worse.

Have genuinely found them excellent and honest. Had a memorable conversation when I worked out if I remortgaged early, paid the hefty cancellation fee I would still save £20k or similar over 3yrs. Was convinced I'd screwed up the maths and a very nice chap in their mortgage team said I was right and I could save the money, but he was very sorry but he couldn't match the rate. He was very nice about it and helpful. Duly remortgaged but have continued to bank with them.

Original poster
larkstar · 23/08/2021 00:26

@HereticFanjo @TractorAndHeadphones
the chat in the app on my iPad can sometimes be difficult to navigate with questions I ask ask until I get to speak to a person and once I am connected to someone I get a coupe of replies and then the conversation goes dead and then the apps abruptly announces "Chat not available" and terminates the conversation. I am the executor for an estate and have had a lot of bills to pay and money to move around - the app allows you to move money internally between Barclays accounts - certainly £8,000 but no more than £2,000 to pay other people however you can pay larger amounts if you go to a windows laptop and do it directly via the on-line banking - the app declines to make these larger payments and did not explain why and i could not get answers via the chat - I found out by myself the differences between the app and on-line banking - the telephone banking people couldn't answer and question about the app - they are a separate team - they said use the chat facility - I said I did try... but it doesn't work. Over the course of the last 18 months I have just had too many annoying problems and had to make phone calls to try and resolve app or on-line banking issues - unfortunately the calls to India often have poor quality phone lines.

OP posts:
Dragonfly101 · 23/08/2021 01:09

Starling Bank, it's an online bank. Have fantastic service. We had our house deposit with them and used the chat/phone(my husband did it) to get authority to move it to the solicitors they were super helpful and allowed the big payment through no problem. Then restrictions went back in place. They were also super easy to change address with unlike Santander which made us go into branch during lockdown 3.0.
They are great when you travel as well and don't charge for card purchases while abroad.
Immediate notification on all transactions.
App is super useful also which helps manage money so much easier.

Original poster
larkstar · 05/02/2022 12:36

For the record - I've had a lot of problems trying to open an account with First Direct and given up and will try Starling. The problems are minor, tedious and numerous. I just wanted another account to put some money to use an account when travelling for one thing - plus we have too much money in one place ATM.

OP posts: